I then had discussions with some fellow Nokia fans on the potential of this new ESeries addition and heard opinions spanning different ends of the spectrum. I had been somewhat skeptical of the E72, but still had some room for consideration when I thought of upgraded features such as the 3.5mm headphone jack, the optical mouse, feature pack 2 and 5megapixel camera. However, I was notified by a fellow Nokia owner that the camera STILL only supports 15 frames per second for video capture! Immediately, every hope that I had for the E72 was thrown to the wind and I was once again satisfied and content to keep my E71.
Upon reading comments from an article on the E72 at conversations.nokia.com (http://conversations.nokia.com/2009/06/15/nokia-e72-unveiled-pics-and-video/#comment-6577), there was a posting on June 15th at 409pm from a member by the name of thomwithah that I found quite interesting and well written.
A Conversations.Nokia.com post from member thomwithah:
+ Optical mouse
+ 3.5mm Audio Jack
+ Digital Compass
+ Native Office 2007 Support
+ Battery Life (Nice on E71 already)
+ HSDPA 1900, and HSUPA
+ Space bar activates the torch
+ Lifetime walk navigation in Nokia maps
+ Native chat, and messaging lifetime
~ More Ram
~ Faster Processor
- NO BlackBerry SUPPORT
- No dedicated Camera Key, seriously?
- No USB Charging
- No video out
- No stereo Speakers
- No FM Transmitter
- No OLED Screen
- Same 320×240
- No FP3 Home Screen Live Widgets
- Still Gen. 1 LED Flash
"That's how I see it. I use a E71 on the regular, and have been pleased. But, I think that this E72 should have been, and could have been, what the e72 is. At least as far as the 5MP camera and 3.5mm jack. I like seeing the N and E series Nokia's move closer together. I don't understand the need to separate them so much. Many of you say that Enterprise users have no need for a good camera. I feel that some do, others just want it. I'm one that wants it. I want a device that does it all, not multiple devices. I think what should separate the E and N series is the pre loaded software, and possibly build quality.
Let the E series come with MS Office Editing nativity, along with other software to support business needs. Avoid the bloatware in the E series, but allow a owner to download it if they like. E Series should have higher build quality and the best available battery life. E series should have more timeless and classic appearances than N series. The price points could be higher, with less churn.
Let N series come loaded with with all the Social Networking, Direct photo upload, and other stuff. They don't need native MS Office Support, but should allow it to be Downloaded. The could be built with less metal then E series, and have lower price points. They should be less expensive, and have higher turn over.
BlackBerry Support needs to come back in the E series! If you (Nokia) build better hardware (which you should,) and include your software (which should be better) what do you risk besides converting others to you system. I need to have BlackBerry Messager for my work, so I have to have a BlackBerry, or a old Nokia that supports it. I can't buy a new Nokia device that works for me, and I know their are MANY others like me. At some point some manufactures are going to have a device that meets my needs enough that I will carry one device, I hope it is you. But if I don't change jobs, or you don't bring back BlackBerry support, it won't be a Nokia.
Maybe I'm wrong, I sure some of you will tell me I am. I'd just like to see Nokia bring their focus in on the consumer and meeting the consumer needs. I feel that they are starting to lose some of that focus, buy looking over their shoulder at the competition. I understand loosing market share and profit margins can case a panic, and the first reaction is to say "what are they (the competition) doing?" It simple, they are focusing on consumer needs and filling the void left in your offerings. It seems to me that Nokia of late has been very reactive, and less pro active on their handset side, maybe it's just me. I feel like Nokia is doing a lot of things to say "We've got that too" or, "We can do that" instead of "No one else has ______ like we do" or "What consumers really want and need is _______, let's do it, and do it the best way possible." I want to seem them break out, break ahead, and give us ALL something that makes us say "How did I ever live without this?" I think Nokia has a lot to offer, I own their stock, use their products, and hope to see improvements. They've come along way from a paper company, I want to see them go further still.
Anyhow, all that is way off topic. E72 is better than E71, and I will likely end up buying one as soon as the come down $50 off the launch price. I very much enjoy my E71, and having an improved one will be nice. As of now, no manufacture has a device that meets all my needs."
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While I totally agree with most of thomwithah's sentiments, I would have to disagree on one point: I do not think that the E72 is any better than the E71. The additional features of the E72 certainly do not make it a worthy upgrade for me, for I can either find alternatives with the E71 or simply manage to go without them and remain satisfied. Aside from this, the E72 only seems to offer a facelift with more flashy metallic accents and home keys that look more challenging to press. I am still somewhat surprised that the 5 megapixel camera on this new phone is STILL at 15 frames per second when the E75 was double that amount just like the E90 Communicator!! At this point I can only guess that the slim profile of the E71 and E72 prevents them from getting a sensor big enough to support 30 frames per second, but I am most likely wrong in this regard.
The cons listed in thomwithah's comment post don't necessarily apply to me for the most part, but I can certainly empathize. I am 100% in agreement that Nokia appears to be getting stagnant in the mobile industry from a lack of innovation in the execution of certain products. I actually talked about this in a previous post not too long ago and still hold to that same opinion to this day. It seems that Nokia is slowly going into the same doldrum state that once upon a time plagued Palm and its stubborn dependency on an outdated operating system. However, I continue to prefer the Nokia brand because of my familiarity with its Symbian S60 OS and the mostly stable reliability and performance of its products. It simply works for my personal needs unlike any other brand that I have tried over the years. I would be lying if I said that I didn't feel like I was standing on the Titanic as it approached icebergs (maybe that's too strong), but it is good to be honest about Nokia's shortcomings nonetheless. Yes, I do sometimes wonder how in the hell it took Nokia so long to finally adopt touch into S60. Yes, I do sometimes wonder if the S60 operating system really is complex and sloppy from the ground up in its infrastructure; possibly explaining the potential difficulty in adapting it to new standards (like touch). Yes, I do wonder why my E71 currently does not have the option to download feature pack 2 so I can avoid having to spend money on the E72. There are so many questions and opportunities for improvement on every device that is already out there, so I do not think that this kind of brainstorming will ever come to an end.
The only common sense solution is compromise. The alternative would be to buy every single gadget one sees, but I figured common sense to be crucial in order to keep oneself from financial ruin. When a device is purchased, it is good to know that it can at least meet most if not all of the desired requirements that are important for everyday usage. I know that I can depend on the E71's portability and functionality with a number of applications, but taking video on the fly is a lost cause and I always refer to my Canon SD750 digital camera. Despite my lack of confidence in the E71's camera for video capture, I still recognize its value for still pictures (in well-lit areas) and am aware that good video footage is a luxury instead of a necessity. The next great step for me in compromising is the purchase of my new black N97. With both devices, one from the NSeries and the other from the ESeries, I am essentially meeting all of my needs with phones that are made for two different consumer markets.
As I continue to wait for the arrival of my black N97 (once the PayPal e-check clears), I am hopeful that my ownership of it along with the E71 will keep me content for my messaging and multimedia needs.
--
Sent from my 13inch MacBook Aluminum
TRENT SENSE blogger/netcast host
trentonnsmith.blogspot.com
youtube.com/absolon3
7 comments:
Great review Trent, keep up with the hard work. Thanks a lot in advance for all your informations and advice on TECH TOYS!!!
Kind regards,
Ismail Lawomtong.
I agree with both you, Trent, and with thomwithah, up to a certain point, at least. I am slightly disappointed that E72 doesn't represent a greater improvement over E71. While FP2, the compass, optical mouse, and USB-charging (YES it DOES have USB-charging!) are features that I would be willing to pay for, they're certainly nothing revolutionary by any measure. Also, the higher resolution of the E72 camera is probably a lost cause if the optics are the same as in E71 -- a Carl Zeiss lens would probably have made a difference, but 5mp on the same tiny sensor and lousy optics will hardly improve image quality significantly.
As for the screen resolution, I believe S60 3rd FP2 is optimized for 320x240 / 240x320, and thus it would not be feasible to make a larger resolution display for this version of S60. As for stereo speakers, FM transmitter, video out, and similar features, I would say those would be rather surprising in a business phone, and I doubt many are looking for these in the E72.
So, obviously the 72 IS better than the 71, albeit not very much. If it turns out that the Calendar has been further improved (highly unlikely) I might still buy one. Generally speaking, however, I wish Nokia would finally revamp S60 completely, instead of just bolting on touch etc on top of a dated UI. Only then will they have a chance to innovate.
Rofa:
Very good point you made about certain features not being necessary for a business-centric phone. This is most likely why I have taken to the N97 for its multimedia focus. I am hoping that the inclusion of the qwerty can somehow add that small touch of business-like messaging potential that I am so accustomed to with the ESeries line.
for best results abstain from colour pics on these devices,my previous 6120 took superior pics compared to my new e71 because lens relative to sensor was bigger.even with my dslr I downgrade the res to 1megapixel, for best performance and web use,people obsess about megapixels!
I think you're missing two key points. First, the E72 has a much faster processor (600MHz vs 369MHz). Everything should be snappier. Second, the E72 has tri-band 3G, meaning it will work in North America and in Europe / Asia. For those of us who travel this is the bane of the E71 - we can't use it in Japan and Korea.
It does have USB charging.
@Everyone - it would be great to hear more about your N97 Trent.
I have 2 questions of the E72, if anyone is available to answer please. 1 - What about the speaker on the back of the phone. How does it compare to the E71. I try and avoid holding the phone to my ear, and i dont use earphones, so, as a speaker phone on the desk, how does it compare? 2 - I have been having great success using my 'smartconnect' APN manager to switch very easily between my home's WiFi and the 3G when I leave the house. I heard that the E72 is not capable of using this software or functionality. If someone could comment on these two question please. Thank you.
Hisham
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